Following up quickly on the success of early October I decide to pursue the French armies as they fall back on Aachen. After all, Aachen is a German city and must be restored to the Fatherland!! Unfortunately my best attacking general, Mackensen, is resting his troops after an amazing display of generalship last turn. I read a post on the forum recently that was along the lines of good generals don't impact combat that much.... I have to strongly disagree. The results of this attack with inferior generals are disappointing... hoping to catch the French in disorder after the battles earlier this month.. instead my casualties are heavier than expected. The French rushed forward reinforcements quickly and two of my generals involved in the attack went inactive... those strategic ratings are so key to offensive operations (especially when playing with veteran activation).

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Which leaves the west front corridor looking like this... the fight for Aachen rages on as the French push to turn my right flank.

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The flood of French troops into the corridor is giving me a very slim opportunity to pull off an encirclement and cut off some of the French armies from their supply bases. As you can see below the corridor is narrowest at Luxemburg where it is in fact only one region wide...if I could close the door by taking this region I would trap the French armies inside the corridor. This is very tempting but I must be careful ... the French have large forces which can march to the sound of the guns here. Also I would be attacking entrenched defenders across a river. If I had more corps available I could pull it off... as it is things are very delicately balanced on this front right now. A failed attack could leave me weakened and open the way for a full scale French break through... if only I had more troops available...

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Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

A brief interlude to focus on the promotion of Von Mackensen to a 3-star general... a well-deserved promotion for taking out 100,000 enemy troops at the cost of 29,000 last turn. Take a look at these before and after stats. Not only is there a different photo.. a fiercer, slightly older-looking Mack... post promotion; but also he has different special abilities... he now has the fast mover trait and if he ever makes it to CinC he will be an 'aggressive strategist' like that invincible Von Kluck who is currently conquering Poland. It is attention to detail like this that makes ageod games so special. Making the most of your leaders by assigning them the roles best suited to their abilities, and placing your best generals in positions where they will gain the positive combat experience to get promoted, are key to success in this beautifully crafted gem of a game...

BEFORE..
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AFTER... super Mack [ATTACH]32228[/ATTACH]

Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

My key focus here is of course to bring the Ottoman Empire into the war asap. Last turn the entente played the 'give Ottomans 2 shiny new battleships ' card (can you hear the bitterness in my voice? ) thereby delaying Ottoman entry for a few more turns. Hopefully they'll be in for Christmas... Christmas Turkey... get it...?

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I finish the turn by printing more money and ordering new generals... gotta go for broke as the CP...

Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

TXcavalier wrote:Until you posted those two pictures of Von Mackensen, I never realized leader images could change with promotion.

Even down to details like a different uniform and greying hair at the temples... very cool. I'm sure this probably only happens for the better known leaders in the war. It all helps with immersion in the game...

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

Below is a 'satellite view' of the European theatre in early November 1914. Still no snow but I'm expecting plenty in the next two turns... I'll need to focus on keeping my armies on the eastern front supplied and protected...

1) Red lines are the border lines on the main combat zones.
2) Yellow zig zags are hot spots with ongoing battles over regions.
3) Orange stars are seiges.
4) White arrows are the general direction of the CP advances.

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Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

We are still staring at each other across the river. The Russians are my top priority but the Serbian problem will have to be dealt with. For now, winter is coming and that will literally freeze any action on that front...

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

BBBD316 wrote:Did you wipe out the remains of those Russians that you had smashed early on or did they manage to some how get out of the net?

I think one was 8 CP and the other 20-40

Thanks for reminding me... I forgot to update you about that. The answer is that the larger force managed to slip away from Warsaw to the east. My army was exhausted after storming the city and in no shape to pursue. The other, smaller force currently sits between my forces converging from the north and the south... 'between a rock and a hard place' .. as shown below. I have detached a division to chase it down but the same situation exists as in other places on the eastern front... many of my forces are in need of recovery or are involved in ongoing sieges... we shall see if he manages to slip the net... Poland is a big place...

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Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

Doesn't the snow look pretty... a wide angle shot below of the eastern front showing where my forces finished their moves at the end of this turn. Main highlights are:
1) Von Kluck sent a Russian army scurrying back to Brest Litovsk.
2) At the second battle of Rawa Ruska another Russian army is pushed back north... further away from the other two Russian armies to the east.
3) After a long period of inactivity, Brusilov (probably the best Russian commander of the war) suddenly springs to life and attacks Czernowitz... but is repulsed.
3) My advance on Minsk is once again met by a sizeable Russian force... this time my army under Gallwitz decides not to engage.. have to check the logs to figure out what happened.
4) The siege of Ivangorod continues... an all important breach has been made.
5) My chase after the remnants of a Russian army in the west continues as he gives me the slip again...
6) The wide angle shot also shows the British submarines slow but steady progress towards the Baltic shipping box... apparently two huge fleets are incapable of finding him... even though he's travelling at about 10mph...

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So here are the east front battles this turn... no real objectives were secured (except holding onto Czernowitz... no mean feat against Brusilov) but I take some satisfaction in that the overall ratio of casualties inflicted is 2:1. This ratio is significant for the CP as the entente powers have greater manpower and resources... got to keep hitting them wherever I can sustain these kind of results...

The second Battle of Rawa Ruska.. whittling away at general Plehve...

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Von Kluck engages Lechitski and forces him back on Brest Litovsk..

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The battle of Czernowitz... this had my heart in my mouth as I watched it unfold... a breakthrough by the Russians here could have unhinged my entire front line... and Brusilov's reputation precedes him. Bojna did well here to hold the Russians at bay... again having the right commander in the right place is key.. Bojna has a 3 rating for defence.

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A closer look at how the Austrian front is developing... I slowly push Plehve back but that leaves Lemburg unguarded with a Russian army close by... top left Ivangorod has been breached...

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WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE ME FOR THE WINTER?? The big question is whether or not to launch major offensives in harsh snowy weather. Both my main German pushes are caught in winter conditions... Gallwitz (on his way to Minsk) and Kluck (on his way to Brest Litovsk). The key decision here is do I press my offensives or do I fall back on my cities and wait out the winter?? According to the manual (p.68) there is a moderate penalty to the attacker in snow and of course there are the affects of attrition... my supply trains can absorb these for a while but not indefinitely. It all comes down to weighing risk against gain.. as most decisions do in this war game. Wait and see next turn which way I decide to move.. forward or back...

The supply situation at the siege of Ivangorod is becoming critical. I have partially breached their defences but it is a level 2 fort. I must take the city and its depot soon... especially now that winter has arrived...

Finally, down on the Serbian front the two armies have decided to play a football match to ease the boredom... currently it is Serbia 2 Austria 3....

Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

On the western front another big battle takes place in Aachen. Big Mack (Von Mackensen) is thrown back into the fray and we win a victory even though outnumbered 3:2. French forces are falling back from Aachen on Eiffel.

The WF.. no snow yet...

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as mentioned already we win the battle in Aachen.. against the odds... good leadership telling again..

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The big question beginning to form in my mind at this point is: WHERE ARE THE BRITS?? Did the BEF hit a land mine and drown in the channel? GB joined the war in Late Sept 1914. Allowing for forces locked on the first turn they should have boarded their transports in early October.. landed in France in late October... but still no sign of them. I am getting a little suspicious. There is no law that the BEF must join the French on the WF. I ponder the alternatives... the BEF could land..
1) In Serbia... but its winter and there are big mountains..
2) In Egypt ... getting ready to hit Ottomans hard once they join the war in a couple of turns...

Perhaps they are making a 'magical mystery tour' like the Beatles......

Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

Former Ottoman Player in the first Paradox Forums TEAW Mass Multiplayer AAR. Victor of Tripoli, Tyr, and Xanthi. Defender of the Holy Cities of Jerusalem, Mecca, and Medinah. Conqueror of Kuwait and Kitchener. Bane of the British and Sword of the House of Osman.

Thanks for the info. But it doesn't rule out the Austrian coast (modern Croatia). Also could the WE declare war on say Greece or Bulgaria and invade them? I have to get my ships out scouting... they must be hiding somewhere...

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

The Entente won a battle against my forces in sw Africa.. I must admit that I tend to neglect the colonial side of the game.. difficult to plan moves there when the Royal Navy + Japanese navy rule the seas....

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Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

Remember last turn I was pondering two winter offensives in the east? Well this turn I decided to attack Brest Litovsk and to adopt a defensive stance in the north by not assaulting Minsk.
The map below explains my thinking on the importance of taking Brest Litovsk. With Ivangorod expected to fall next turn this would leave two Russian armies (starred) behind my new lines (in red). It would affect the juncture of the Austrian left and the German right wings to where they would be mutually supporting... pity it didn't quite come off... best laid plans and all that...

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The story of the failed assault on Brest Litovsk has taught me a couple of valuable lessons:
1) Don't attack in harsh weather unless you have overwhelming odds
2) Attacks with forces moving from different regions are tricky and can lead to unforeseen results

The opening round of the attack on Brest Litovsk went well with Von Kluck showing his usual skill in the offense... however... the battle became very bloody and both sides lost an entire Corps.. completely destroyed. In my case I also lost a 5-5-0 general.

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If the battle had ended there I could have taken my licks and continued the assault the next turn... unfortunately another of my attacking armies arrived a day late... this initiated combat again with my first two armies already exhausted from the previous assault. The result was a defeat with heavy casualties. An important lesson in coordinating attacks and taking account of the winter conditions... all of those red circles are exhausted troops...

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Further to the east I continue the assault on Ivangorod and pay a high cost in casualties... winter weather again having an adverse affect. A significant positive result of this assault, however, was that Ivangorod (a level 2 fort) received a second breach... leaving it unfortified and open to assault next turn. Ivangorod must fall before the end of the year... my supplies are running critically low.

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On the Austrian front I decided last turn to pull in my claws as winter set in. I pulled out of Rawa Ruska, having given the Russian army there a lesson, and fell back on Lemburg... a stronghold on that front. As it turns out my armies got there just in time to repel a strong Russian assault...

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Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

So this is how things look on the eastern front at the beginning of December.. with my offensive stalled outside Brest Litovsk. One interesting event to note is that the weather has cleared, probably for the last time for several turns. I must take full advantage of this to advance the FIVE sieges currently in progress.. I don't want my armies parked outside cities and taking attrition all winter...

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my cavalry continue to operate behind enemy lines ripping up rails before operations are suspended for the winter... I am anticipating another offensive on Czernowitz by Brusilov next turn...

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Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

Aachen is turning into a meat grinder reminiscent of Verdun IRL. Both sides continue to feed troops into this region... the blood must be knee deep by now...
I will explain why Aachen has become the focus of so much effort by both sides... it is all a question of SUPPLY. In the map below the supply depots are marked with yellow diamonds. All except two.. Luxemburg and Aachen.. belong to the CP. This means that if the French lose Aachen they will have to fall back ... Trier has no depot. This will allow my armies, currently behind the red line from Duisberg to Mainz, to take up new positions, behind the thick yellow line... this allows to to shorten my lines of defence ... always a desirable outcome in war...

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a series of three bloody engagements begins well for the Kaiser...

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but ends with a German defeat... not sure why this is.. given that I appear to have had better odds at the end than at the beginning of the three engagements... still 75,000 casualties vs. almost 120,000 for the French... a decent ratio in this war of attrition...

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This is the situation on the western front at the beginning of December... the onset of winter should have a significant affect on the French strategy...

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Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

Those familiar with WW1 will have heard of the amazing German raider in Africa... Von Lettow Vorbeck... an outstanding 5-5-6 commander with a very useful 100% evasion ability in the game. Well... I felt his talents were wasted in the colonies and so I sent a sub to pick him up and bring him back to the Fatherland. However, in an almost comic moment the waiting Japanese fleet had other plans ... and sank my sub (they must have better ASW than my fleets in the Baltic). With the result that Von Lettow is back in Africa and has been grounded for a few turns... naughty boy.. he can't come out to play until he's finished his homework....

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The siege of my forces in SW Africa continues to got the Entente's way... these guys are toast next turn...

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Which brings me to the question that has been haunting me since last turn. Where have the British armies gone?? Where is the vaunted BEF?? I decided to send some ships to scour the oceans, particularly the Med. in search of these wayward warriors.

When I was 8 years old we had a family vacation on the island of Malta. A beautiful place with warm beaches and friendly laid back people. They seem to be playing host to some very important guests. My torpedo boat can see lots of green and blue dots.. too many for the defence of a small island. The telling piece of info is the presence of transport ships... I can't get any better intel on force composition... but I think I have just located the BEF.. drinking wine and getting sun tans while the French die in their tens of thousands in the muddy trenches... it's nice work if you can get it...

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The BIG question of course is where do they go next?? Ottomans are likely to join the war next turn... coincidence or could this be the event they are waiting for?? Here are my best guesses on possible targets:
1) Constantinople: hit the Ottoman Empire hard where it hurts on their first turn... also close to Russian territory.. allowing for joint Russian/British cooperation in the near future.
2) Alexandria: protect Egypt, control Arabia... attack the Turks from the south.
3) The Adriatic coast.. especially the area of modern Croatia and Montenegro... the coastal city of Cattaro allows them to link up with the tough little Serbian army and attack into the Austrian underbelly.

Any other move would involve invading neutral countries (Italy/ Greece/ Bulgaria/Romania) and I don't think Jinx will want to pay the price for such rash action. So there you have it.. my best guesses... one thing is for sure: it won't be long before I discover their real intentions. Of course I could be wrong... Malta is a lovely place to spend the winter... 'oh, oh, oh what a lovely war....' pass the vino chaps.. and rub in some more sun tan lotion would you.. there's a good man...'

Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

IMO, he has erred not sending the BEF to the Western Front with your situation as precarious there as it is. I always send the BEF to the Western Front if my opponent opts for the Moltke Plan, with some luck the German defensive positions in Alsace-Lorraine can be busted through and the Germans pushed back to the Rhine by 1915. At the very least, it pulls pressure off the Russians as the Germans are forced to divert troops back West or risk disaster.

The BEF is tough, but it's small. I'd say keep a floating reserve available to cover the Dalmatian coastline with the Austrians, and be prepared with the Ottomans. You don't want to leave Anatolia or Constantinople open to major landings, the Middle East is expendable if he hits you hard there. If he gets the BEF bogged down in a Gallipoli type venture, I think this is most fortunate for you as it relieves you of a further threat in the West.

JodelDiplom wrote:My heart sinks when I hear of how your and the French armies are tearing up my home town, Aachen It's such a nice city, but probably all rubble now in your version of WW1.... *tear*

My apologies for turning your home town into a battle ground. I have been defending it from those dastardly French aggressors!! Don't fear.. I will keep it in the Fatherland Hopefully I will get to see the real Aachen one day... what is there to see there?

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

Altaris wrote:IMO, he has erred not sending the BEF to the Western Front with your situation as precarious there as it is. I always send the BEF to the Western Front if my opponent opts for the Moltke Plan, with some luck the German defensive positions in Alsace-Lorraine can be busted through and the Germans pushed back to the Rhine by 1915. At the very least, it pulls pressure off the Russians as the Germans are forced to divert troops back West or risk disaster.

The BEF is tough, but it's small. I'd say keep a floating reserve available to cover the Dalmatian coastline with the Austrians, and be prepared with the Ottomans. You don't want to leave Anatolia or Constantinople open to major landings, the Middle East is expendable if he hits you hard there. If he gets the BEF bogged down in a Gallipoli type venture, I think this is most fortunate for you as it relieves you of a further threat in the West.

I'm just amazed at how long the BEF has been out of action. Ottomans has just joined the CP so now we will see if he has been holding them back for an offensive in Turkey. I am sending reinforcements to the Dalmatian coastline just in case he lands there... it really is a mystery.. makes for a lot of fun speculating... this really is a fascinating game!!

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

I thought I would start this turn's report by a look at the western front first for a change. The battle for Aachen rages on... will there be anything left of this city when the fighting finally stops? Suffice it to say at the end of the war all a soldier will have to say to show that he saw hard fighting is: 'I was at Aachen...'
The latest battle results.. note I took out one of those pesky French cavalry regiments...

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The most interesting outcome of this battle is that the French forces retreat inside Aachen... bringing on a siege. I see this as a positive development. While Aachen is well defended, if I take it I destroy two entire French armies in the process. No doubt the French commander will do everything in his power to avoid this and will try to break the siege with everything he has. The stakes just got even higher in Aachen... guaranteeing that this region is likely to remain the focus of the conflict on the WF.... no hope of an end to the bloodshed this year...

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The other major news on this front is that Moltke is replaced by Falkenhayn as theatre commander. This is a game event..

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I prefer Falkenhayn because he gives a plus 1 to all my army commanders strat. ratings. He is an offensive minded commander, however, and my focus on the WF is defensive at the current time...

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Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

In the east the most encouraging news is the fall of Ivangorod... relieving the supply crisis for my Austrian armies in that region...

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In the German sector of the eastern front I also take the fort of Pultusk. I wanted to take advantage of the break in the weather last turn.. but this city cost me almost 20,000 men. I resolve to be more patient in my other sieges and to wait for breaches before assaulting.. or for the garrison to surrender. This will mean shuffling supply wagons back and forth to protect my besieging forces from the worst affects of the winter conditions.

The other notable event in this sector is that some of my forces retreated successfully from Brest Litovsk... I said some.. because Gallwitz (a level 5 strat rated general) went inactive and has not managed to extract himself yet. Gallwitz has obviously been studying Napoleon's Russian campaign and is determined to recreate the retreat from Moscow... his tardiness endangers his army. An aggressive Russian commander would pursue him in earnest. I brought up Von Bulow last turn to cover the retreat from BL... hopefully he can cover Gallwitz as he falls back.. Bulow is a very useful general with a level 4 defensive rating.. very rare in an era when most generals were schooled in the art of the offence. I will not rest easy until Gallwitz is safely out of Russian controlled territory. This offensive on Brest Litovsk has been plagued by poor coordination from the start... a badly timed assault leading to an uncoordinated retreat.. flirting with disaster...

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This how the German sector looks in late December.. Quast is looking a little isolated and vulnerable in the north at Wilna... I will reinforce him next turn...

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The Austrian sector is quiet... for now...

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Finally a look at the Serbian front. I am still awaiting the appearance of the British army and to cover this front in case of an invasion I am railing in reinforcements from Germany and Austria. I am attempting to cover the most likely landing sites. The newly arrived armies will be useful for a spring offensive against Serbia if the boys from blighty don't show up here... The intended destination of the BEF is still a mystery... I am growing more certain that their target will be the Ottoman Empire. Why else would they have waited this long? My opponent Jinx keeps telling me to look for paratroops over Berlin jumping out of zeppelins.... Surely the British will make an appearance next turn...???

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Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

Finally, the most significant development of this turn has to be the entry of the Ottoman Empire into the war... according to this newspaper headline the network of alliances is getting so complex that the Ottomans almost declared war on themselves...

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An overview of the sprawling Ottoman Empire shows how much complexity their entry adds to my strategic calculations. There are five possible fronts that could open up and look at that coastline (highlighted in red)... not to mention that the Otto army starts in a disorganised mess with no munitions trains and little artillery... the BEF could show up on any one of these fronts.. or at any point on the exposed coastline.. except Armenia where I face the Russians across the mountains..

Morale update:
WE 104
CP 103
EE 93

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Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

It's now late December and the biggest news is that the BEF have finally landed... the suspense was killing me... a sleepy fisherman in a small town in Cattaro on the coast of Montenegro just had a heart attack...

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In my honest opinion I think the Entente have waited too long to make their invasion. I knew something was up when the BEF didn't appear on the WF by late October. I've had three turns to anticipate their next move and there were only a few real possibilities... They waited so long that I was beginning to think that the target of the invasion would be somewhere along the Ottoman coast.. but they have decided to invade at Cattaro... along the Dalmatian coast where I have been assembling reinforcements just as a precaution against this eventuality...

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Like the scene out of a hollywood movie my advance Austrian force reaches Cattaro just as the BEF is storming the beaches... the result is a defeat for the Austrians...

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Of critical importance though is the fact that my advance force has not been pushed out of the invaded region... and the BEF have not gained any military control... meaning they must attack again next turn. I have forces nearby that I can throw into the battle for Cattaro. This seems like an almost suicidal attack by the BEF... on a narrow front it is an incredible gamble. Two turns ago this move would have caught me with my pants down but I have been given too long to prepare for such eventualities. The other surprise is that the Serbian armies have not launched a single attack in support of the British invasion... especially the Serbian force sitting next to the beach head.. very odd. A wider shot of the Serbian theatre shows where Serbian armies could have attacked... although I have to say the timing is probably too late... the onset of winter on the eastern front and the delay in the timing of their invasion has given me time to begin to build up my forces in this theatre...

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Of course this could be a diversionary attack... a very costly one... but designed to draw off enough of my forces from other fronts to turn the initiative over to the Entente. I am bracing for attacks on both the WF and EF next turn as they look to probe for any weaknesses. Once again managing these fronts is a delicate balancing act.

Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

The troops here definitely won't be home for Christmas. The focal point on the WF remains Aachen. As I predicted the French are sending a very strong relief force to break the deadlock at Aachen, where I have two French armies under siege... this looks set for fireworks next turn... interesting to note that the French have also built a depot in the 'no man's land' between their depots at Aachen and Luxemburg...

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On the eastern front the important news is Von Gallwitz managed to slip out of Brest Litovsk and away from the Russian armies assembling there... I breathe a huge sigh of relief.. he had half of my heavy artillery and all of my super heavy artillery with him.... a more aggressive approach by the Russian commander could have really hurt me here. Other sieges continue and I am content to settle in for the winter... if I can get some garrisons to surrender I will gain morale while weakening Russian morale at the same time.

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In the Austrian sector things are pretty quiet although Rawa Ruska is retaken and Brusilov (bottom right) is steadily building his forces.. perhaps for another assault on Czernowitz next turn... hoping that I will be distracted by the invasion of the BEF no doubt...

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Predictably in the colonies my garrison in SW Africa surrenders and I lose one NM. Von Lettow continues to sit idly by ... he is still in detention for trying to emigrate to Europe earlier in the year...

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Attachments

"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)

While this is definitely a war game there is a focus on the political, diplomatic and scientific aspects of the war as well. Some new options are available to me to influence other countries to join my side... at a cost of course...

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I also have some new options to accelerate research this turn... at a financial cost..

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On the diplomatic front I switch my major diplomat from Ottomans to Italy... I need to delay Italy's entry on the side of the Entente as long as possible.. Serbia needs to be conquered first.. I also note that I appear to have some bad luck with Infantry research.. falling behind 50% to a 70% lead by the Entente.

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Nothing to report from the Ottoman Empire... the first turn is organising armies and activating generals.. the Turks are relieved that they were not the target of the BEF.

That wraps it up for 1914... I expect 1915 to begin with a bang... as Aachen explodes again and the BEF try to fight their way off the beaches....

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"I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than the dissolution of the Union... and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation." Robert E. Lee (1807-1870)